I want to talk, as well, about this apparent meltdown on the jobs bill. It is only adding to speculation that the state of the Obama administration, that it is struggling, perhaps. And some are even suggesting that it's descending into crisis.
Now, I want to bring in our senior political analyst, David Gergen.
And I don't mean to be dramatic about that, you know, crisis or anything, but what do you make of the fact that something that the administration thought they could get in rather short order is now deteriorating?
Does it say anything about what's taking place inside of the White House?
DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER: I'm afraid it does. It's bewildering on its face, Suzanne. I mean let's -- here's the context.
Gallup tells us today that the highest number of Americans in 27 years are saying unemployment is the number one problem in the country. Six out of 10 Americans think the president is not doing enough to address the economic problems of the country.
Yesterday, the White House issued its -- the economic report of the president, projecting that over the course of the coming year, with $100 billion of the new spending and jobs bills -- which haven't been passed -- even with that, we're only going to create, on average, 95,000 jobs a month.
On average, over the course of the coming year, 100,000 new people each month will enter the job force. In other words, we're going to create fewer jobs over the course of the coming year than there are people -- new people looking for them. That means for the 14.8 million Americans who are currently unemployed, that's not great hope, because that means we're just -- it's flat line.
So you would think, in that situation, that the White House would be at general quarters; that the president, after the State of the Union Address, saying jobs are my number one priority, would be out there talking to Harry Reid, talking to Nancy Pelosi, talking to Chuck Grassley, getting Max Baucus, you know, twisting arms, bringing people in and getting a jobs bill passed that was substantial.
Instead, we have this very, very bewildering situation where the president, once again, seems to be on the sidelines -- at least by all appearances -- and letting Congress go its own way and sort of making a hash out of this.
MALVEAUX: Well, David, let me ask you this...
GERGEN: That is not what I am accustomed to in presidential leadership.
MALVEAUX: Let me ask you this, what about the appearances that the president has been making?
He's been going around. He's holding town hall meetings. He's been answering questions. We -- I've been covering the fact that he's been reaching out. And at least he seems to be using the -- the kind of language that people can relate to, saying I understand things aren't great, but we're trying to work on this.
Do you think that that's been largely ineffective?
GERGEN: Well, I think that the president has connected with people in -- in good ways. But at the moment, Suzanne, I believe that people are not looking for more talk, they're looking for more results. They want change. And they're not seeing it come. And after the failure on the health care bill, we're now going to have this sort of -- this conference next week to go back to health care, when most people are saying wait a minute, what about the jobs?
Isn't this an urgent issue?
And -- and I believe the president is going to descend into a crisis unless his people come together and pull this jobs question together and get moving on it. I mean, the jobs bill that's emerging right now -- I give credit to Harry Reid. I like Harry Reid. I respect him. But the stripped down bill that he is introducing is only for $15 billion. "The New York Times" today, in its editorial, said that's pathetic. They said it's puny compared to the needs that we face.
MALVEAUX: All right, David Gergen, thank you so much.
We appreciate your perspective.